Mayor faces drug charge

By HEZRON KISING
A MAYOR and a ward councillor are among a group of eight people facing charges of being in possession of dangerous drugs.
Mayor of Madang town Ishmael Yama and Urban Local Level Government councillor Mathew Madeler appeared before Magistrate Pious Tapil in the Lae District Court on Monday.
Yama, 27, from the Usino-Bundi district of Madang, is also defending himself against charges of being in possession of pornographic materials, an unlicensed gun and live ammunition. The defence lawyer claimed that the gun was registered to Yama.
Madeler, 32, from Karavi village in Kokopo, East New Britain faces a charge of being in possession of a dangerous drug.
Both men were on a K3,000 bail.
Magistrate Tapil issued a warrant of arrest for the other six in the group who failed to turn up in court on Monday. They had been granted a K300 bail. They are Kapinias Junior Umong of Rabaul, East New Britain, who is also charged with being in possession of pornographic materials, Philemon Albert, 23, from Malaguna in Rabaul, East New Britain, Pedro Tobi, 21, from Nawaeb district of Morobe, Henry Michael, 29, from Yabob in Madang, Philip Tamor, 26, of Manam in the Bogia district of Madang, Tim Willie, 28, from Kompri in the Kainantu district of Eastern Highlands.
The eight were arrested in August after police allegedly found dangerous drugs believed to be marijuana in Yama’s possession and in the vehicle they were travelling in.
The defence lawyer also told the court that Yama and Madeler could not attend a previous court session in August because they had been attending a meeting. They had sent a text message to the lawyer explaining their absence but the message was not clear as there were typing errors.
The lawyer presented a fresh submission with a new letter explaining the reason for the absence to police prosecutor Vincent Suakai.
Magistrate Tapil adjourned the matter to allow Suakai to go through the defence submission and prepare his response. The case will return to court on Oct 16.